CofE Bishops urge government to recognise Palestinian statehood unconditionally
The Archbishop of York and the Bishops of Southwark, Gloucester, Chelmsford and Norwich, have issued a strongly worded statement calling on the government to recognise Palestinian statehood unconditionally, saying it has a moral obligation to use all means to end the “abomination” in Gaza. They welcome the government’s statement on recognising the state of Palestine, but say it is overdue “and cannot come soon enough”. The statement continues: “As settlement expansion continues in the West Bank, the UK must recognise Palestine while there is still land on which a state could be recognised. The UK has a particular historical and moral duty to recognise the State of Palestine, and it is therefore disappointing that this recognition has been made conditional. The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination is not a bargaining chip, and there can be no conditions placed on it. We urge the Government to move ahead with recognition of Palestine regardless of the facts on the ground”. While condemning the Hamas attacks and calling for hostages to be released, they say the Israeli government must declare an immediate ceasefire, desist from actions leading to starvation in Gaza and stop progressive annexation of the West Bank. They say: “the fact remains – a deliberate famine is being inflicted on the people of Gaza”, aid drops are dangerous and inadequate. Statement is here
Chief Rabbi says UK statement on Palestinian State is ‘unfathomable misstep’
The chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis says the government’s announcement to recognise a Palestinian State, “establishing a clear ultimatum for Israel but not for Hamas, is an unfathomable misstep”. In a statement on Twitter / X, he says this can only disincentivise Hamas from agreeing to a ceasefire and undermines the cause of peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike. He believes “many in the Jewish community are viewing this as a profound betrayal of Israel’s quest to live free of terror on its borders” and he implores the government “to apply unyielding pressure where it belongs – on Hamas, the single greatest danger to the population of Gaza and the principal obstacle to peace”. Tweet is here
Board of Deputies president: Israel risks moving towards ‘pariah state status’
The Jewish Chronicle reports details of an emergency meeting of the Board of Deputies, called to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and British Jewish response. It reports that the Board of Deputies president, Phil Rosenberg, issued a stark warning about Israel’s international standing and said Israel was increasingly at risk of moving towards “pariah state status in the international community”. He is reported to have said that unless Israel makes major changes to its policy in Gaza, it might face the “South Africa playbook” in its treatment by other countries, and this “would be heartbreaking for our community and we must do everything we can to prevent this from happening”. He is also said to have criticised two of the Israeli government’s far-right ministers, describing Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich as “stains on the Zionist project”. The report is here
Settlers torch cars and spray graffiti in majority Christian town on the West Bank
The charity Aid to the Church in Need reports that there have been more violent attacks against Christians in the West Bank. It says extremist settlers torched cars and sprayed hostile graffiti on Monday in the town of Taybeh, the last majority Christian town in the West Bank. The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches issued a statement saying they are “profoundly concerned” over recurring incidents. They said: “This grievous incident is not an isolated occurrence. It forms part of an alarming pattern of settler violence against West Bank communities, including their homes, sacred spaces and ways of life. Only days ago, settlers forcibly entered Taybeh, herding livestock into the heart of the town. Masked individuals – some armed, others on horseback – roamed the streets, spreading terror and threatening the sanctity of daily life”. A month ago, an arson attack reached the walls of the fifth-century Church of St George. The church leaders say impunity is undermining the rule of law and the lack of accountability weakens the moral and legal foundations that uphold peace and justice for all.
Other news
Cherry Vann becomes the new Archbishop of Wales
Cherry Vann, who has served as the Bishop of Monmouth for the past five years, has been chosen as the 15th Archbishop of Wales. She is the first female and openly gay archbishop in Britain and succeeds Bishop Andrew John, who resigned in July after the publication of two reports into Bangor Cathedral which described weak governance of finances, a culture where “sexual boundaries seemed blurred” and excessive drinking. In a statement, she said: “The first thing I shall need to do is to ensure that the issues which have been raised in the last six months are properly addressed and that I work to bring healing and reconciliation, and to build a really good level of trust across the church and the communities the church serves.” Aged 66, she was among the first women to be ordained in the Church of England and served in the diocese of Manchester until moving to Wales. A gifted pianist, she studied piano and violin at the Royal College of Music before training for ordination. She is patron of the Open Table Network, which supports LGBTQ+ Christians, and has spoken publicly of her long-standing civil partnership with Wendy Diamond. She was elected by a two thirds majority of the church’s electoral college, on the second day of its meeting at the St Pierre Church and Hotel in Chepstow. Guardian report here
Times reports final shortlist confirmed for next Archbishop of Canterbury
The Times reports that a shortlist of candidates to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury has been drawn up, as the process progresses to the interview stage. The Crown Nominations Commission, consisting of 17 voting members who consider candidates and make a selection, have held two meetings, with a third expected in September and the announcement expected this autumn. The process is held in secrecy, so there is no announcement of names. The Times religious affairs correspondent Kaya Burgess interviewed Lord Evans of Weardale, the former MI5 chief who is chairing the process, but he would only confirm there was more than one person on the list. He said: “We do not have a ready reckoner that says we’ve got to have three or six or nine. There are practical issues where if we interviewed 15 people it would be a long old process.” Times story is here
Pope warns of communication overload “a bulimia of social media connections”
The Pope has said we live in a society that is becoming ill “due to a kind of bulimia of social media connections”. Speaking at the first public audience since his summer holiday, he described today’s world as being marked by “a climate of violence and hatred” that deeply wounds human dignity. Our society, he said, is growing ill, not from isolation, but from a kind of overload. “We are hyperconnected,” he said, “bombarded by images, sometimes false or distorted”, but by learning to communicate with honesty and prudence, Christians can help avoid wounding others. His audience included tens of thousands of people, including young people in Rome for the Jubilee of Youth this week. It was a joyous occasion, as presents were lobbed into his Popemobile, such as two white cowboy hats and a small takeaway pizza box from a restaurant in Chicago, near the suburb where he grew up.
Faith minister visits Caritas Salford to see its work with migrants and the homeless
Lord Khan of Burnley, Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement, visited Caritas Salford to learn about its work tackling poverty, homelessness, and disadvantage across Greater Manchester and Lancashire. He met staff, service users and volunteers at the Cornerstone centre, including an ESOL student-turned-volunteer, and saw first-hand the charity’s role in supporting migrants and those experiencing homelessness. Caritas Salford highlighted the urgent need for more funding for English language provision. The visit ended with discussions with Bishop John Arnold and Director Patrick O’Dowd on the role of faith-based organisations in supporting vulnerable communities and advocating for systemic change.
Fewer Christian majority countries in 2020
Latest Pew Research shows that Christians were a majority in 120 countries as of 2020, a reduction from 124 in 2010, largely caused by the rise of “non-religion”. Christians lost their majority status in the United Kingdom (where they made up 49 per cent of the population as of 2020), Australia (47 per cent), France (46 per cent) and Uruguay (44 per cent). Meanwhile, 10 countries had religiously unaffiliated majorities in 2020 – three more than in 2010 and they were Uruguay, New Zealand and the Netherlands. Pew Research here
Historical first for women in Aberdeen and Orkney
The Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney has appointed Canon Dr Jennifer Holden as its new Dean of the Diocese, the first woman to hold the job. With Anne Dyer as Bishop, Aberdeen and Orkney has become the first Scottish Diocese to have a female Bishop and Dean at the same time. In the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Dean is a senior cleric who assists the bishop in the administration of the diocese, which in this case has 41 churches and is 200 miles long.
Report benchmarks facts about British mosques
The Ayaan Institute has published a report, Mosques in Britain: A Landmark Study of Faith Infrastructure, detailing the assets, finances, and representation of mosques across the UK. The report found that the asset value of the UK’s mosques is £1.5 billion. Mosques make up only 4 per cent of Britain’s places of worship, in contrast to the 6.5 per cent of Muslims across the population. Read Maira Butt’s report here
